Posted on 02/07/2005 5:59:17 AM PST by HamiltonFan
Getting There: Ben Wear Time to pay attention to Perry's toll roads
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, February 7, 2005
Back when the Trans-Texas Corridor seemed to be only a 4,000-mile, $180 billion gleam in Gov. Rick Perry's eye -- that is, a year ago -- it was easy not to take it seriously.
The Texas Department of Transportation held informational meetings in all 254 Texas counties, and almost nobody came. At the one in Bastrop, there were three
real human beings, plus me and about a half-dozen Transportation Department employees who looked like they'd much rather have been at home with a cold one and their feet up.
A second round of 26 meetings in the spring drew about 30 civilians each, then the third go-round in the fall ginned up 2,891 people. Or about 1 out of every 7,600 Texans.
It's a little embarrassing to admit, but the Austin American-Statesman's transportation reporter was among the 7,599 no-shows.
But everything changed in mid-December, when the Texas Transportation Commission, with Perry on hand looking like a cat who had consumed an entire pet shop of canaries, announced that a consortium led by Spanish toll road builder Cintra was willing to build 300-plus miles of Trans-Texas Corridor, from San Antonio to the Oklahoma border, footing the $6 billion cost alone and throwing another $1.2 billion the state's way.
That instantly reframed the discussion from "What was Rick thinking?!!?" to "Is this superhighway going through my barnyard?" And that gives the next round of 47 public meetings, due to start today in Dallas and
Sherman, considerably more cachet.
Not so much in Central Texas, where, as it turns out, we already have six lanes of Trans-Texas Corridor under construction: Texas 130. What Cintra builds, assuming the Spanish company and the state reach accord on an initial planning contract, would connect to the 49-mile Texas 130 tollway on its south end near Creedmoor and its north end near Georgetown.
But even here, Texas 130 might not be all of the Trans-Texas Corridor we see. As Perry proposed it, the corridor would have six lanes for cars and four for trucks, six rail lines and room for pipelines and electric lines.
So, what are these meetings about? Well, there's a long process under federal law that requires highway builders to take into account environmental, sociological and economic effects in deciding where and what to build. These public meetings are part of the fact-gathering. Transportation Department officials say that what they hear will help them narrow the road's path to a 10-mile-wide corridor.
The Austin meeting is at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 at the East Communities YMCA, 5315 Ed Bluestein Blvd. (U.S. 183).
Right now, the state has a thoroughly baffling map (available at www.keeptexas moving.org, along with a list of the meetings) that shows a tangle of 10-mile-wide snakes going from Oklahoma, circling around or through the Metroplex, going east of Waco, Austin and San Antonio, and then heading to Laredo or the Rio Grande Valley.
If you want to help the state select a snake, you have your chance in the next two months.
Getting There appears Mondays. For questions, tips or story ideas, contact Getting There at 445-3698 or bwear@statesman.com.
You're welcome. :-)
"most congested road in the country".
I've seen the quote from both pros and cons of this venture. There is a lot of emotion on both sides. Whichever way this project ends up, I do believe private, limited access highways are not a bad idea (I'm nowhere near where this one is).The devil is in the details though
Well you certinly make a good case for this. I will support it if the aesthetics are dealt with also. The quality of life for Texans should also be taken into account. Actually you have convinced me it may be very beneficial for Texas. Thank You for your explainations. Very knowledgable.
Let me give you another link for a further perspective:
FYI at this time `11:28 A.M. Alex Jones on his program is discussing the Austin, et al toll roads and their implications for yet another scam on the public. www.infowars.com He will have Jimmy Gardner and Linda Curtis on also to discuss aspects of the Austin toll road project.
I don't have to listen to Alex, Jimmy, or Linda. I've got the internet.
Is there any reason to believe that passanger cars, truck, and trains want to go to and from the same places? (OK, their drivers want...) It's not clear at all that forcing all these types of traffic into the same channels would be effective.
Yes, thank God for the internet. How did we ever get along without it?
The portion of the program I told you about contained a report by Jimmy who was out getting petitions signed when an agent of the powers that be offered him $200 to give him the petition he had that contained only about 10 signatures and to pack up his table and leave. Thankfully Jimmy told him that he was not for sale. Sounds as though the powers that be are desperate.
Who's Jimmy?
Jimmy Gardner I think. At any rate he is one of those who are getting petitions signed to recall the Austin mayor and who is involved with the Austin Toll Party.
Well, the original Interstate plan was to loop around cities. Senator Gore (père, non fils), along with lobbyists, were ablet to send them through cities. It will be interesting to see what happens here.
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